The present invention relates to a self-adhesive label and to a method of producing a self-adhesive label carried on a backing of release material.
Leaflet or booklet labels typically comprise a folded leaflet or booklet which is carried on an underlying self-adhesive support piece. Commonly, the leaflet or booklet is overlaminated with a self-adhesive transparent plastic overlaminate, which is typically adhered additionally to at least one exposed area of the support piece. The use of a single support piece, which defines the entire self-adhesive footprint of the self-adhesive label, is advantageous when the label is to be applied automatically and at high speed by a label applicator because a single base label keeps the label as a unitary “package” and the label can be reliably applied iin a closed configuration. However, when the support piece so defines the entire self-adhesive footprint of the self-adhesive label, it is often difficult to apply the label to a curved surface without encountering problems of inadvertent rucking or folding of the multiple layers of the labels, and/or without the folded leaflet or booklet inadvertently being opened as a result of tension in the layers caused by labelling around the curved surface.
A number of self-adhesive multilaminar leaflet or booklet labels are known, together with methods for their manufacture, which have a structure which permits the labels to be wrapped around and adhered to curved surfaces.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,399,403, 5,679,427 and 6,037,029 disclose a multilaminar label in which a leaflet or booklet is adhered to a self-adhesive support piece and the entire assembly is covered with a self-adhesive plastic overlaminate. The self-adhesive support piece defines only part of the footprint of the label and a flap of the overlaminate is adhered directly to the backing of release liner (or product to which the label is adhered when the label is used) to keep the label ordinarily closed. This permits the label to be adhered to a curved surface without rucking or folding of the layers of the label, and without inadvertent opening. In order to open the label, the overlaminate flap is pulled upwardly away from its adhesive connection with the product so that the multilaminar leaflet or booklet, sandwiched between the overlaminate and the support piece, can be accessed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,588,239, 5,860,238 and 6,027,598 all disclose expanded content labels adapted for application to curved surfaces and methods of production. The expanded content label includes a segmented, or multi-piece, base label which allows the entire label to conform to a curved surface. Gaps between the base label segments permit the label to move and flex about the curved surface. The labels disclosed in these three patents suffer from the problem of mis-labelling during application of the expanded content label to a product to be labelled, using automatic labelling machinery, which typically operates at a high labelling rate. As the label is fed off from the release liner web, the trailing end of the label being applied comprises an end portion of the covering overlaminate with one base label segment adhered thereunder. This trailing edge is free to move relative to the remainder of the label, when detached from the release liner but prior to application of the product. This can lead to the trailing edge being adhered to the product in slightly the wrong position, possibly leading to unsightly rucking or folding of the outer layer(s) of the label.
The present invention aims to provide an improved self-adhesive label and method of producing such labels.
It is another aim of the present invention to provide a self-adhesive label which is adapted to label curved surfaces and can be reliably applied to containers to be labelled using automatic labelling apparatus.
It is a further statement of the present invention to provide a self-adhesive label which encounters reduced mis-labelling problems during automatic labelling of containers to be labelled.